In an interview
I asked John Thackara: “How much technology do we need?" He
answered: "Unfortunately "need" and have to live with
are irretrievably mixed up. The world is so full of technology and intermingled
systems that we can't just throw them away. But I'm confident we are moving
away from the idea that tech is a good thing by itself. Most of us feel
far from in control. We're filling up the world with amazing devices and
systems – on top of the natural and human ones that were already
here – only to discover that these complex systems seem to be out
of control: too complex to understand, let alone to shape, or redirect.
But things may seem out of control – but they are not out of our
hands.” [John Thackara]

While relaxing
in a hammock, the motion animates texts on a projection screen (sail).
These texts are short essays and excerpts from interviews about mobility,
home and identity. During the exhibition, I interview people
myself, and next to the installation they can find forms that they can
fill in. My experience is that many people like to stay for a while. Besides
using the installation they also like to watch the swinging movement of
the hammock and the typing of the text. It calms them down and helps them
to focus so that ultimately they take their time to answer the questions
truthfully. In
the end, their thoughts are entered into the installation content. While
creating the freequent traveller installation, inspirations were the immersive
rituals of the ancient Greeks and Romans, the HIBYE nomadic work of Martí
Guixé and The Viridian Neologue Contest, invented by Bruce Sterling
and Natalie Jeremijenko.
The interface consists of a hammock, whose movement is traced by a custom-made
hardware interface. The incoming data are then interpreted by a special
application that maps the text onto complex modulations of sine waves
and random functions.

Downloadproject description
written as scientific paper in English (160 KB)Download
excerpt of the projected text passages (70 KB)

"home
is your identity - stories instead of objects - moving free of weight
- relax everywhere!" Are you an freequent traveller?
Participate, share your thoughts! They will be become part of the content
– su*et*sushu.de